TSSAA Votes 12-0 to Deny Transfer Rule

Honestly, I am a little surprised by this. Today’s decision doesn’t affect our family, but I have followed this process(to adopt or to deny a new rule) passively for the past year or so. The current rule is antiquated. Basically, unless a Tennessee high school athlete changes their residence and they have already played a high school varsity sport within the past calendar year, they have to pay a 365 day(+1) penalty in whatever sports they have played in order to transfer. This means that a student has to wait one calendar year(from the date they last played a specific sport) before being able to compete as a varsity athlete.

Example: If a student played a varsity sport on October 22nd of 2020 at high school X. That student can transfer to high school Y, and play that sport as a varsity athlete on October 23rd of 2021.

Going Forward: I think probably the Tennessee Legislature(sooner than later) will likely step-in and force the TSSAA to change this rule. I understand why athletic directors are concerned about the rule, but they will lose this battle eventually. That said, there are PLENTY of schools and athletes taking advantage of loopholes in this rule already. In other words, they are cheating the system. Some athletes gain eligibility the very next week! This rule is Swiss cheese and is only harming athletes who do things the right way. (One other option would be for a family to legally challenge the TSSAA in court.) The NCAA already has a generous transfer rule. It is my opinion that student athletes should be afforded the same rights that their non-athlete peers enjoy. If a non-athlete transfers, they are still permitted to play in the band, do robotics, and participate in non-athletic school functions normally and without penalty. These are high school athletes – not professionals. They aren’t NFL players with contracts. Let them find the right fit for them, and if that means transferring, so be it.

Here is a link to the rules if you should like to read them in their current form:

https://cms-files.tssaa.org/documents/tssaa/2024-25/handbook/2024TSSAABylaws.pdf

ProTip: The world is changing. Institutions which don’t adapt will go extinct.